For anyone that wants to lug around a box trailer, or perhaps tow a small boat or jet-ski, getting hold of a car or truck that can tow is essential. The most capable full-size pickup truck on sale right now is the Ford Super Duty, which can pull up to 40,000 pounds when properly equipped. That’s impressive, but also probably overkill for 99% of the population, which is why not everyone is rolling around in Super Duty pickup trucks.
Regular cars are perfectly capable of towing small trailers around, and to prove the point, we set out to discover exactly what a Mini Cooper can tow. There are various ‘Cooper’ trims available, on everything from the humble hatch, through to Mini’s new electrified range of models, and the family friendly Countryman. In order to provide a more comprehensive answer for Mini owners and enthusiasts, we’ve scoured the entire range to find the most and least capable Mini models when it comes to towing.
The most capable Mini we found in terms of towing was the 2025 Mini Countryman – a model we had great fun driving and reviewing at the start of this year. When properly equipped, the Countryman can tow up to 3,500 pounds, meaning it can handle trailers and even small campers without hassle. Helping it to pose as a capable tow vehicle is Mini’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive system, an optional towing package, and a turbocharged engine which kicks out plenty of torque.
The humble Mini Cooper wasn’t designed as a tow vehicle
Seemingly, the automaker has not provided figures for any models outside of the current Countryman when it comes to towing. That’s not particularly surprising, as it’s unlikely many Cooper or Convertible owners are looking to haul any great loads on a regular basis. However, some towing specialists out there do offer towbar kits for recent generations of the Mini Cooper.
One kit, available from Euro Towbars, is rated up to 1,000 kgs — or 2,204 pounds. However, the firm is quick to point out that if the car itself is not rated, then it can only be used to tow bikes on a ball-mounted carrier, rather than haul a trailer, small camper, or similar. According to the RAC, it is possible to work out the towing capacity using the vehicle’s kerb weight and the maximum technically permissible laden mass (MTPLM) of what you wish to tow. If the latter is below 85% of the former, then it’s safe to tow, according to their advice.
Even in spite of a Mini Cooper’s diminutive dimensions, then, it is possible to at least tow something — although you’d be better off with a Countryman Cooper or Cooper S if you plan on towing semi-regularly. Some folk have even towed lightweight trailers up to a maximum of 880 pounds in weight with classic Mini Cooper models, which just goes to show the capability is there if you really want to tow with a Mini Cooper.
